El BoletÃ­n: March 1, 2013

March 1, 2013

March 1, 2013

Welcome to El BoletÃ­n, the official Senate Democratic Hispanic Task Force newsletter. Senate Democrats work to advance policies that will improve the daily lives of Hispanic Americans and help them achieve the American dream. El BoletÃ­n is designed to provide the most up-to-date information on key legislative proposals of interest to the Latino community. We hope that you will take the time to review this periodic digest and encourage you to share any relevant information to others. We welcome any feedback or suggestions on how to make El BoletÃ­n most helpful to you.

Menendez: Sequestration Wasnâ€™t The Solution Then, Itâ€™s Not The Solution Now

Washington, DC â€“ U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ), who voted against the Budget Control Act of 2011, today supported Majority Leader Reidâ€™s balanced approach to replace the job-killing sequester cuts that are set to go into effect tomorrow. Menendez reiterated that automatic, draconian cuts were â€œnot the solution then and they are not the solution nowâ€, and he opposed Republicansâ€™ proposal to unfairly put the burden of deficit reduction on working families.

â€œIâ€™m extremely disappointed that Senate Republicans filibustered a balanced approach to replace the sequester â€” a proposal that a majority of Senators supported. For years now, Congress has been held hostage by a radical few who believe their view of the world, their vision of government, must be Americaâ€™s vision,â€ said Senator Menendez. â€œAnd this vision has time and again brought us to the brink of manufactured crises that threaten our economic recovery and middle-class Americans. I opposed the Budget Control Act of 2011, which has brought us to this point. Draconian across-the-board cuts were not the solution then and they are not the solution now. Thatâ€™s why today I joined my fellow Democrats in supporting an alternative to sequestration thatâ€™s balanced, fair, reasonable and would avoid making this bad idea a reality.â€

The Senate failed to get cloture on either of the two alternative proposals voted upon today, despite a majority of support for the Democratic alternative. Now, it is almost certain that the sequestration cuts will go into effect tomorrow. Congressional leaders are set to meet with President Obama tomorrow, and Democrats will continue working toward a solution.

These cuts will impact New Jerseyans as they try to recover and rebuild from Superstorm Sandy. Roughly $2.5 billion would be cut from the Sandy Relief Package; approximately $1 billion from the disaster relief fund, which is the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s main way of paying individuals and communities for their damage, and $1.5 billion from other sources including the Community Block Development Grant (CDBG) program and emergency transportation funding.

â€œAfter weeks and weeks of unnecessary delay, Republicans finally did what we have always done and stood with Americans suffering in the aftermath of a crippling natural disaster,â€ Menendez added. â€œBut now, sequestration is threatening this very funding we fought so hard to secure. We must avoid these automatic cuts in order to ensure that our transportation networks, beach communities, businesses and local neighborhoods can rebuild stronger so that they are better prepared for future storms.”

REID FILES AMICUS BRIEF WITH SUPREME COURT TO END DISCRIMINATION AGAINST SAME-SEX COUPLES

Â

Washington, D.C. â€“ Nevada Senator Harry Reid today issued the following statement after filing an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court arguing that Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is unconstitutional. Â Section 3 of DOMA prohibits the federal government from recognizing for purposes of federal law same-sex marriages performed in states where such marriages have been legally recognized. Forty members of the U.S. Senate and 172 members of the U.S. House of Representatives signed the brief: Â

“Because of DOMA, gay and lesbian married couples are denied more than 1,100 federal rights and benefits to which all other legally married couples are entitled; that is neither fair, nor right. Today, I filed an amicus brief with the United States Supreme Court to make clear my belief that Section 3 of DOMA discriminates against gay and lesbian married couples and should be struck down as a violation of the U.S. Constitutionâ€™s guarantee of equal protection under the law.

â€œSince the enactment of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in 1996, the attitudes of many Americans, including me, have changed significantly. When Congress enacted DOMA, no state had legalized same-sex marriage. Now, gay and lesbian couples can legally marry in nine states and the District of Columbia. This is progress in the truest sense of the word, and repealing DOMA is the next step we need to take towards providing true equality to all Americans under the law.”

###

United States Senator Robert Menendez

New Jersey

For Immediate Release

February 27, 2013

Menendez Press Office

(202) 224-4744

MENENDEZ ON VOTING RIGHTS ACT IN SCOTUS

Menendez Reaffirms Strong Support for the Voting Rights Act

Â

Senator Menendez released the following statement regarding the U.S. Supreme Courtâ€™s hearing of arguments on Shelby County Vs. Holder:

â€œI am proud to reaffirm my continued and strong support of the Voting Rights Act.Â One of the most fundamental of American values is the right to cast a meaningful vote in a free and fair election, and we must continue to protect this right.Â Unfortunately, we are seeing continued attacks on this sacred right, and now more than ever, we must fight to maintain the integrity of this important law.Â While Latinos made history in this last election, casting their vote in record numbers, many still face obstacles voting in certain states due to the tactics of suppression.Â Â It is essential that all voters in America are able to participate in the most sacred of acts of democracy, and I look forward to seeing the Supreme Court reaffirm our nationâ€™s dedication to equality, justice and freedom.â€

###

For Immediate Release

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2013

CONTACT:Â Adam Jentleson, (202) 224-2939

REID FLOOR REMARKS ON SEQUESTER

Â

â€œInstead of replacing the pain of the sequester with something smarter and more reasonable, [the Republican] plan would embrace these devastating cuts.â€

Â

â€œRepublicans should give Congress true flexibility â€“ flexibility to cut wasteful subsidies, flexibility to close unnecessary tax loopholes and flexibility to ask the richest of the rich to contribute a little more.â€

Â

â€œAs usual, Republicans have put the demands of special interests over the needs of middle-class Americans.

Today the Senate says goodbye to a valued and accomplished staff member, Rick DeBobes, who is retiring after ten years as staff director of Chairman Levinâ€™s Senate Armed Services Committee. Rick DeBobes came to the Senate more than two decades ago, after a distinguished, 26-year career as a Judge Advocate in the United States Navy.Â He has spent his entire Capitol Hill career with the same committee â€“ a rare occurrence in the Senate â€“ working first for Chairman Sam Nunn and then for Chairman Levin.

For the last decade, Rick has led the committeeâ€™s oversight of two of our longest-running wars, in Iraq and Afghanistan, working to reward the dedication of military personnel and their families. Under Chairman Levinâ€™s guiding hand, he has also filled the ranks of the Armed Services Committee staff with the next generation of national security professionals.

Rickâ€™s expertise, integrity and commitment to public service will be missed by Republicans and Democrats. And on behalf of the Senate community, I thank him for his service and wish him well in retirement.

Rickâ€™s departure from the Senate Armed Services Committee comes during a trying time for our nationâ€™s military â€“ as deep, across-the-board spending cuts are set to strike. Hundreds of thousands of civilian employees of the Defense Department will be furloughed in coming weeks and months. Families and businesses across this country are also bracing for the pain of deep cuts to programs that keep our food safe, our water clean and our borders secure.

But itâ€™s not too late to avert these damaging cuts â€“ cuts for which the overwhelming majority of Republicans in both houses of Congress voted. Democrats have a balanced proposal to remove the threat of the sequester. Our proposal would reduce the deficit by making smart spending cuts. It would also close wasteful tax loopholes that allow companies that outsource jobs to China or India to claim tax deductions for doing so. Our plan would stop wasteful subsidies to farmer, some of whom donâ€™t even farm anymore. And it would ask the wealthiest among us â€“ those making millions each year â€“ to pay just a little more to help reduce the deficit.

Almost 60 percent of Republicans around the country favor this balanced approach to reduce the deficit with a combination of revenue and smart spending cuts. But because this proposition would ask millionaires, billionaires and wealthy corporations to contribute even a tiny fraction more, Republicans here in Congress wonâ€™t support it. Republicans in Congress are going after our proposal because it goes after special interests.

Now, after days of infighting, Senate Republicans have announced their own so-called â€œplan.â€ Instead of replacing the pain of the sequester with something smarter and more reasonable, their plan would embrace these devastating cuts, while abandoning any of the responsibility that goes along with them.

Republicans call the plan â€œflexibility.â€ But letâ€™s call it what it really is: a punt. As President Obama said Tuesday, it would simply raise the question: â€œDo I end funding that helps disabled children or poor children? Do I close this Naval Shipyard or that one?â€

It is not a solution. And even members of the Senate Republican caucus have questioned the wisdom of this proposal.

Republicans should give Congress true flexibility â€“ flexibility to cut wasteful subsidies, flexibility to close unnecessary tax loopholes and flexibility to ask the richest of the rich to contribute a little more. Instead, theyâ€™re completely inflexible â€“ insisting we risk hundreds of thousands of American jobs, as well as programs that strengthen families and small businesses across this nation.

But that should come as no surprise. As usual, Republicans have put the demands of special interests over the needs of middle-class Americans.

###

United States Senator Robert Menendez

New Jersey

For Immediate Release

February 28, 2013

Menendez Press Office

(202) 224-4744

As Gas Prices Climb, Menendez Introduces Bill to Stop U.S. From Exporting Over One Million Barrels Per Day In Fuel

EIA Numbers Released Yesterday Reveal U.S. Was a Net Exporter of Petroleum Products Such as Diesel and Gasoline in 2012 to the Tune of One Million Barrels Per Day

Washington, D.C. â€“ While gas prices continue to shoot upwards and squeeze family budgets across New Jersey, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) today reintroduced legislation, the American Oil for American Families Act, that would keep more fuel that is produced in the United States here in the United States, increasing our supply, and putting downward pressure on prices at the pump. In numbers released yesterday by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) it was revealed that the United States was a net exporter of petroleum products such as gasoline and diesel by 1.02 million barrels per day. And in the last month alone gasoline prices have risen by 42 cents per gallon according to AAA.

â€œRising gas prices are hurting working class families and the only solution Big Oil has is to drill more,â€ said Menendez. â€œBut as weâ€™ve seen, drilling more in the U.S. will not do a thing for U.S. prices if we just export that fuel around the world. We deserve to know that oil produced from land belonging to American taxpayers is used to lower prices here at home, not sent to the other side of the world.â€

In 2011, the U.S. became a net exporter of petroleum products for the first time since 1949. In 2011, the U.S. exported over 300,000 barrels of petroleum product per day, but in 2012 net exports shot up to 1.02 million barrels per day. There are many petroleum products produced in the U.S., but diesel fuel and gasoline were the dominant petroleum products exported and responsible for these net export numbers.

Senator Menendez’s bill would keep more of the oil produced in the United States here for domestic consumption. His American Oil for American Families Act would ensure that oil or petroleum products that originate within American public lands or waters are not exported as crude or in refined form. That would increase our supply at home, and put downward pressure on prices at the pump. Senator Menendezâ€™s legislation will only restrict exports of oil from public lands and waters because this oil is clearly the American peopleâ€™s oil and we should be able to decide how to use it.

###

For Immediate Release

Date: Wednesday, February 27, 2013

CONTACT:Â Adam Jentleson, (202) 224-2939

REID REMARKS AT THE ROSA PARKS STATUE UNVEILING

Â

Washington, D.C. â€“ Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid spoke at the unveiling of a statue of Civil Rights leader Rosa Parks in National Statuary Hall in the Unites States Capitol. Below are his remarks as prepared for delivery.

One hundred years after Rosa Parks was born â€“ and more than half a century after she sparked the Civil Rights movement â€“ the United States is still striving to ensure every American is not only created equal by God, but treated equally in this world.

As America shapes its future it struggles with its past â€“ a past in which equality was our principle but not always our practice. Two of the Best Picture nominees at this yearâ€™s Academy Awards â€“ â€œLincolnâ€ and â€œDjango Unchainedâ€ â€“ offered cinematic treatments of the legacy of our nationâ€™s darkest institution. One film presents an unvarnished view of the evils of slavery. The other depicts our difficult journey to end slavery.

It is significant that, 150 years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, we are still considering â€“ in film, in photo, in art, in activism â€“ how to eradicate slaveryâ€™s unsavory successors, racism and inequality.

In the doorway to my office, there is a photograph of President Barack Obama in the oval office. President Obama is bending over, and a young, African American boy named Jacob is touching the Presidentâ€™s hair. The photograph is famous now, as is the story that goes with it. Jacob had come to visit the White House with his family. Jacob asked if his own hair was the same as President Obamaâ€™s hair. The President said to Jacob, â€œWhy donâ€™t you touch it and see for yourself?â€ And Jacob said, “It’s just like mine.”

Iâ€™ve shed many tears over that photo. It is a potent reminder that â€“ although our journey is not over â€“ this country has come far in its short history toward righting injustice and living up to its founding principles.

But without the determination and sacrifice of Rosa Parks, this presidency, that photograph and so much of the progress we have made to perfect our union would not have been possible. So today a nation pays enduring tribute to the woman who moved the world when she refused to move from her seat.

###

United States Senator Robert Menendez

New Jersey

For Immediate Release

February 26, 2013

Menendez Press Office

(202) 224-4744

Senator Menendez Hosts 3rd Annual Black History Month Celebration

Prominent African American Community Leaders Attend â€œStanding on the Shoulders of Giantsâ€ Program

TRENTON â€“ On the heels of his first official trip as Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman, U.S. Senator Robert Menendez hosted his third annual â€œStanding on the Shoulders of Giantsâ€ program in observance of Black History Month. Sundayâ€™s event at the Shiloh Baptist Church marked Senator Menendez third consecutive year commemorating Black History Month.

â€œThere are times when it may seem that the challenges we face as a society are insurmountable â€“ that society is too complex, too divided and insular for us to compromise with each other for the good of each other. But Iâ€™m an optimist,â€ said Senator Menendez.

â€œNow, in 2013, we must stand together; stand strong â€“ on the shoulders of the giants who came before us â€“ as we celebrate Black History Month remembering Abraham Lincolnâ€™s legacy and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.â€™s words. He said, â€˜There is but one way to commemorate the Emancipation Proclamation. That is to make its declarations of freedom real; to reach back to the origins of our nation when our message of equality electrified an unfree world, and reaffirm democracy by deeds as bold and daring as the issuance of the Emancipation Proclamation.â€™â€

The entire Emancipation Proclamation being recited by the Trenton NAACP Youth Council was one of many highlights during the program that was emceed by N.J. State Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman. The Honorable Joseph A. Greenaway of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit Court delivered this yearâ€™s keynote address. Rev. Darrell L. Armstrong, Pastor of Shiloh Baptist Church, gave Senator Menendez a warm welcome and introduction.

Receiving special honors at the event were the New Jersey Black Issues Convention, chaired by former N.J. State Assemblywoman Elease Evans, and the New Jersey State Conference of the NAACP, led by State President James Harris.